Simply Zoro and Luffy
by MsBitterSweets
Summary: Wherever Luffy went Zoro will follow, and wherever Zoro went Luffy would be there, too. Because they were nakama, they were lovers, they were simply Zoro and Luffy.


WARNINGS: excessive use of the word "nakama", light Zoro/Luffy and first attempts at writing anything from this fandom.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or its characters.

This story is Beta'd, so if there are any mistakes please tellme and I'll fix them. Other than that, enjoy.

~*~*~*~Simply Zoro and Luffy~*~*~*~

Zoro was strong, incredibly so. Strong, in every sense the word could possibly have. He had made sure of that.

He _prided_ himself in that, in the fact that he could take down any and every enemy that crossed his path, could win every battle that presented itself. He prided himself that he could take a beating and still fight, still win and leave with his dignity intact.

People respected him, people knew not to mess with him. Not if they wanted to walk out uninjured.

Point being, Zoro prided himself in a lot of things, mainly because he had the right to. However, there were also things he regretted, things he wished people knew weren't true. Things that made him feel unwanted and alone, a whole lot of things. Of course, he knew those were foolish thoughts, useless thoughts that would only serve to waste his time and distract him from what was really important. Fulfilling his promise.

He didn't mind the reputation he had. A reputation of being a cold, merciless demon. A monster. He didn't mind the marines calling him a pirate hunter, even though he wasn't one. He didn't care what the world thought. And he most certainly didn't care what he had to called, or what he had to be labeled as, or what had to be promised by the marines to get him captured if it helped to get that promise fulfilled.

_But his reputation also left him alone_.

It was an another thought that frequently entered Zoro's mind, one he was always quick to brush away. He was on a mission to become the world's greatest swordsman, to fulfill a promise to his dear firend. It was a goal that would take time, and thoughts like those didn't have any room in his busy schedule. He didn't have time to feel sorry for himself or care what the world thought of him. They didn't know anything, and they had no reason to.

He didn't need them to, he didn't need anyone, didn't _want _anyone. He was on this alone and he was fine with that. Zoro didn't want to have someone only to then lose them. Whoever said that it was better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all was a true idiot. A complete idiot who probably didn't know what he was saying, someone who didn't know how it felt to lose a loved one. Not like Zoro did. But that was beside the point.

Roronoa Zoro had been fine being alone, with no one to lean on, no one to trust, no one to lose until that day. The day he met Monkey D. Luffy for the first time, the day he found his first nakama, the day he met the man he would soon come to love. The man who would turn Zoro's world upside down and inside out with nothing more than a smile and a few words.

Zoro had never been more confused by a man in his life. A_ boy _that had no place in a world like Zoro's.

But with time that confusion turned into admiration and love.

Luffy was an enigma, one that Zoro had no problem letting be. There was no trying to solve the puzzle that was Luffy, you could only stand by and watch in amazemet as he accomplished impossibilities, smiled and laughed at danger, and loved so freely. Still a boy, still untainted and inncocent and tremendously childish, and yet he had a goal already set, a dream he wouldn't think once about giving up.

It was a dangerous dream, one that could end his life in an instant, but then, he had his crew that would stand by him no matter the circumstance. He had Zoro, who would protect him at the cost of his own life, his own dream. And Luffy would return the favor ten-fold, he would cause wars, he would fight monsters, go up against enemies that were feared by the world and smile through it all.

A strong sense of justice, and ironically, a dream to become the Pirate King.

Roronoa Zoro had been tied up to a post, furious at himself for being stupid enough to even be in a situation like his, when he first met Luffy.

He had been captured, or rather, conned. Conned into makind a deal with the son of a marine, to be arrested for a month with no food or water and then, if he survived, to be freed. His pride had gotten in the way again and even though he was more than certain that the wierd blond guy wouldn't hold up his end of the deal, Zoro accepted. He wasn't stupid enough to believe that a spoiled brat who was the son of a marine would be trust worthy, but he was prideful enough to make the deal. He had thought he would be able to walk out alive, weak and near-death but with his pride intact.

It had been on the twentieth day or so that he was starting to doubt. The rush of adrenaline in the fact that he was going to win a challenge had been gradually decreasing and he was slowly starting to realize his stupidity. He couldn't escape now, he was too weak and he didn't have his swords with him. A feeling of dread washed over him, he was going to die before being able to fulfill his promise. And dying in a way that was utterly pathetic. It wasn't in a battle to fulfill his goal, it wasn't when he was finally at the top and able to look down, think 'I did it' and go peacefully, a promise fulfilled and a dear friend waiting for him. No, it was because he got stupid, got arrogant.

The first thing Luffy had said to him, he remembered clearly, was asking him if he was a bad guy. He wanted to laugh, didn't he know who he was? He was Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro, a demon! A monster! It didn't matter if he never actually hurt anyone innocent, never payed for the damages caused, never killed, for some reason the marines decided he was dangerous. And after some time, Zoro came to believe it, he was a "bad guy", he was to be feared, he was to be respected. He was most certainly a "bad guy".

The first time Luffy asked, or rather, demanded Zoro to join his crew his heart tripped over itself in his shock. This guy, this _boy_ wanted Zoro, Roronoa Zoro, to be in his crew. To be his nakama.

Zoro couldn't help but think that Luffy was fooling him. Playing a nasty joke on him. When his heart picked itselfup and started beating again, it was thrice as fast.

_Anger_. It was all Zoro felt. The reason his insides were churning was because of anger, not disapointment, the reason his eyes started stinging was because of the sun and nothing more, the reason his hands were shaking wasn't because of crushed hope, it was because of red, boiling anger. It wasn't a yearning for someone, a yearning for the boy to mean it. To really want Zoro as a friend, as a companion, as a nakama. Because he was Roronoa Zoro, and he didn't need anyone, especially someone like Luffy. He was Roronoa Zoro, a demon, with more flaws than strenghts, with no control and no mercy. Certainly, Luffy wouldn't be able to handle him, he would come to regret his words. Of that Zoro was sure.

So he refused, he had to. Even if Luffy wasn't joking, he couldn't be his nakama. This kid had a dream, a goal he wanted to complete, and Zoro could relate with that. He was no good, he was a demon. He would only cause Luffy trouble, hold him back from his dream. Zoro was capable of a lot of things, but this wasn't one of them.

When Luffy left Zoro alone, Zoro thought Luffy had finally given up, finally noticed what a big mistaken it was to have Zoro as a nakama. He thought he had gone back home, or wherever he had come from.

Then Luffy saved him.

The marines were going to kill him, they had their guns ready and aiming. He was going to die, never to fulfill his promise, never to become the best. He heard gun shots and closed his eyes, but when he opened them, realizing he wans't feeling any of the stinging pain he had come to associate with bullet wounds, there he was, in front of him and taking the bullets for him. That sight alone left him breathless, his chest clenching as a foreign feeling overwhelmed him (it wasn't completely new, the feeling, but Zoro didn't let himself think about that, about his dear friend, about the funeral, about the goodbye). When blood didn't splatter everywhere, he noticed Luffy's skin stretching. Instead of the bullets cutting through skin and muscle, piercing through his body, they bounced off.

Luffy had turned to him and smiled, teeth and gums showing, eyes forced close. Zoro's breath caught for what seemed the millionth time that morning. Then Luffy started laughing, this loud, ridiculous laugh, and Zoro couldn't stop from grinning.

And then… then they fought together. Zoro couldn't describe the feeling, fighting alongside with Luffy for the first time. Even though they had never fought together before, never even met each other before, when they fought it felt like two pieces sliding together and clicking. Fighting with Luffy came naturally.

He felt like that's where he belonged, alongside Luffy. Protecting and defending him. It made it impossible to refuse when Luffy once again asked him to travel the seas with him. He felt happiness swell inside him at how excited Luffy seemed about it, it made his insides churn and a blush to rise to his cheeks.

The decision Zoro made that day was the best decision he ever made, to become the future-to-be Pirate King's first mate. A decision that gave him another reason to live, another promise to fulfill. To live alongside Luffy, to protect him, love him and make him happy. It changed his life.

He felt at ease, content. Even though people couldn't understand how the Pirate Hunter, the demon, came to be Straw Hat's first mate, even though they couldn't comprehend how they managed to become so close with their personalities clashing so strongly, it didn't matter to Zoro. It was simple to him.

Wherever Luffy went Zoro will be there, right by his side, and wherever Zoro went Luffy would be there, too. Because they were nakama, they were lovers, they were simply _Zoro and Luffy_.

* * *

Please review and let me know how I did.


End file.
